Sculpture device

ABSTRACT

A compact sculpture device which is changeable and extendible to provide a myriad of various shapes and geometric designs. The device is easily assembled and comprises plate members that are pivotally connected in a configuration that permits independent articulation of adjacent plates and the ready changing from one configuration for the device to another.

I United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,800,442

Petrocelli 1 Apr. 2, 1974 [54] SCULPTURE DEVICE 2,506,001 5 1950 Sturmun.1 46/31 ux 2,725,234 ll/l955 Coblc 161/7 UK [76] Inventor. MarcelloPetrocelll, 1406 ldlewood 2,751,634 6/1956 Washington 46/] R plttsburgh,15205 3,315,376 4/1967 Nielsen 46/31 x [22] Filed: Feb. 29, 1972 PrimaryExaminer-Harland S. Skogqutst PP N05 230,227 Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Parmclee, Miller, Welsh &

Kratz [52] U.S. Cl 35/28, 35/72, 46/1 R,

' 273/155, 161/17 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl A63h 33/00 A compactsculpture device which is changeable and [58] Field of Search 46/1 R,31; 273/58 R, 155; extendible to provide a myriad of various shapes and35/28, 69, 72; 161/7, 13, 14, 16, 17; 156/63 geometric designs. Thedevice is easily assembled and comprises plate members that arepivotally connected [56] Referen e Cited in a configuration that permitsindependent articula- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion of adjacent plates andthe ready changing from 207 346 8/1878 Clow 35/28 UX one configurationfor the device to another. 2,041I48l 5/1936 Otarm f. 161/7 UX 2 Claims,7 Drawing Figures Hllllll 1mm] k 2 lllllllll J IIIIIIIHY |1||||| llIIHIHHIIIII lllllH Hlllllll 1I|||ll| I IIIIIIII llllllll PATENTEDAPR 2 I974SHEET 2 [IF 4 ATENTED APR 2 I974 SHEET 3 BF 4 FIG. 4.

Q [Hill I I IIIIIIIIIIIIII lllllll IIIIII SCULPTURE DEVICE BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION merous shapes from a basic combination of similar shapedplates and pivotal connection thereof.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a compactchangeable sculpture device having plate members which are pivotallyconnected one to another and which are movable to form various geometricconfigurations. At least three plate members are required in superposedparallel planes, each of the plate members having a first section whichoverlaps others and a second section which extends away from theoverlapping first sections. For

interconnection, the first section of one plate member is pivotallyconnected at one location to a superjacent plate member and at a spacedlocation to a subjacent plate member, of a trio of plate members. Withsuch pivotal interconnection, the plate members are independentlyarticulatable and may be moved to provide a changed configuration forthe sculpture device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of anembodiment of a compact changeable sculpture device of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating more clearly the individualplate members, and their pivotal connection, of the device illustratedin FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the device illustratedin FIG. 1 in another rearranged configuration;

FIG. 5 is a view partly in section showing a further re arrangement ofthe device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the device illustratedin FIG. 1 in rearranged compact configuration; and

FIG. 7 is a view of a further embodiment of the device of the presentinvention using triangular shaped, rather than semi-circular shaped,plate members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A compact changeable sculpture device is providedaccording to the present invention which can be used as an educationalaid in illustrating the myriad of shapes that can be formed using aseries of similarly shaped plate members, or as an amusement devicewhereby one may form from the compact device any of an indefinablenumber of designs.

The compact changeable sculpture device is best illustrated by referringto FIGS. 1-3 wherein like parts are marked alike. There are provided aplurality, at least three, of plate members designated as 2, which platemembers are arranged in superposed parallel planes. The plate membersillustrated therein are of a semi-circular outline, each of the platemembers having a first section 3, which is arranged to overlap others(FIG. 1) and to provide locations for pivotal connections of adjacentplate members to each other. Each plate member 2 also has a secondsection 4, these second sections 4 of adjacent plate members extendingin opposite directions.

Referring specifically to the upper three plate members 2 of FIGS. l-2,there is shown a trio of plate members, plate members a, b and c. Thethree plate members are arranged in superposed parallel planes withplate a, the intermediate plate, with plate b being a superjacent plateand plate 0, a subjacent plate relative to plate a. Each of the platemembers a, b and e have first sections 3 which overlap each other andprovide locations for pivotal connection of adjacent plate members. Asbest illustrated in FIG. 2, at the right hand side, plate member b has afirst section 3 which overlaps a first section 3 of plate member a.Pivotally connecting the plate member a to the superjacent plate memberb is an upper pivot pin 5, or other pivotal connection, at one location.At the left hand side of FIG. 2, there is shown the overlapping of thefirst section 3 of plate member a and the first section 3 of thesubjacent plate member c, with a lower pivot pin 5 pivotallyinterconnecting plate members a and c at a location spaced from thepivotal connection of plate members a and b. Such pivotal connectionenables each of the plate members a, b or c to be independentlyarticulatable with respect to an adjacent plate member. The secondsections 4 of each of the plate members a, b and c, as illustrated inFIG. I, extend in different directions relative to an adjacent platemember, i.e., section 4 of plate member b extends in a differentdirection, relative to the overlapping sections, from section 4 of platemember a.

To the same extent, the second section. 4 of plate member c extends in adifferent direction than the second section 4 of plate member a. In thepreferred embodiment, the second sections 4 of alternate plate members,such as plate members b and c are superimposed.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of plate members haveattached to the uppermost plate member, shown as b, a top cover 6 whichmay be of wood or other decorative material, with the plate member battached thereto, preferably by pivotal attachment means 7. Also, asshown, a bottom cover 8 may be provided with the lowermost plate member0' of the plurality of plate members attached to the bottom cover byattachment means 9. With the top 6 and the bottom 8 rounded, the devicecan be so constructed as to define a sphere, with the two central platemembers 2 of the plurality of plate members being of a longer size thanthe uppermost plate member b and the lowermost plate member d, and withthe size of plate mem bers intermediate each of b and d increasing insize towards the central plate members e. Such an arrangement provides achangeable geometric device of a spherical appearance as shown by theperspective view of FIG. 1.

In the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, the platemembers are planar plates of a semi-circular configuration. The platemembers may, of course, be of other geometrical configuration such asrectangular or square, rhombic, circular, oval, triangular, or the like.An example of a device having triangular plate members 10, is shown inFIG. 7, which triangular plate members have overlapping first sections3and second sections 4 which extend away from the overlapping firstsections. In addition to forming the device from a plurality of similarshaped plate members, the device may comprise a plurality of platemembers of mixed configuration, such as a combination of semi-circularand triangular shaped plate members.

The plate members may be of semi-circular design, and, as illustrated inFIG. 3, may have center portions 11 cut therefrom so as to form a shapesimilar to that of a conventional protractor, or the plate member may bea solid plate such as plate member f. The plate members may be formed ofany rigid material, such as plastic; metal, such as aluminum; wood; orheavy fibrous material. By choosing the desired material, a plate membermay be formed so as to be opaque, transparent, translucent or solid andmay be adapted for use in conjunction with desirable lighting to give apredetermined effect.

As an example of a few of the myriad of shapes that can be formed fromthe sculpture device of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, theconfigurations illustrated in FIGS. 3-6 are readily achievable byarticulation of the pivotally connected plate members 2.

There has been described a compact changeable sculpture device thatisconstructed from plate members that are pivotally attached at selectedpoints. The device is composed of few parts and is readily extendibleand changeable into numerous various geometric configurations.

l claim:

1. A generally spherical compact changeable sculpture device having agenerally rounded cover and base comprising:

a. a plurality of planar plate members of a semicircular configurationarranged in superposed parallel planes, each of said plate membershaving a straight-edge section and an arcuate section; saidstraight-edge sections arranged to overlap each other to providelocations for pivotal connection thereof and said arcuate sectionsextending away from said overlap, with arcuate sections of adjacentplate members extending in different directions; wherein said pluralityof plate members comprise top and bottom plate members and a pluralityof intermediate plate members, and wherein the arcuate sections of platemembers increase in size in the direction away from said straight-edgesections, from said top plate member and from said bottom plate memberto the center of said intermediate plate members; and b. upper and lowerattachment means pivotally connecting adjacent said plate members sothat the straight-edge section of one of said plate members is pivotallyconnected to the straight-edge section of a superjacent plate member atone location and to the straight-edge section of a subjacent platemember at another location spaced therefrom, with each of said platemembers being independently articulatable with respect to an adjacentplate member; with the bottom plate member being attached to said baseand the top plate member being attached to said cover. 2. A compactchangeable sculpture device as defined in claim 1 wherein said firstsections of adjacent plate members are contiguous.

1. A generally spherical compact changeable sculpture device having agenerally rounded cover and base comprising: a. a plurality of planarplate members of a semi-circular configuration arranged in superposedparallel planes, each of said plate members having a straight-edgesection and an arcuate section; said straight-edge sections arranged tooverlap each other to provide locations for pivotal connection thereofand said arcuate sections extending away from said overlap, with arcuatesections of adjacent plate members extending in different directions;wherein said plurality of plate members comprise top and bottom platemembers and a plurality of intermediate plate members, and wherein thearcuate sections of plate members increase in size in the direction awayfrom said straight-edge sections, from said top plate member and fromsaid bottom plate member to the center of said intermediate platemembers; and b. upper and lower attachment means pivotally connectingadjacent said plate members so that the straight-edge section of one ofsaid plate members is pivotally connected to the straight-edge sectionof a superjacent plate member at one location and to the straight-edgesection of a subjacent plate member at another location spacedtherefrom, with each of said plate members being independentlyarticulatable with respect to an adjacent plate member; with the bottomplate member being attached to said base and the top plate member beingattached to said cover.
 2. A compact changeable sculpture device asdefined in claim 1 wherein said first sections of adjacent plate membersare contiguous.